Nancy Guthrie Case Update: Sheriff Says Targeted Kidnapping, No Glove DNA Matches, Debunks Key Rumor

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos declared in a new interview that he believes Nancy Guthrie's disappearance was a targeted kidnapping by someone who "knew who they were after." He dismissed the burglary gone wrong theory, revealed that the black glove found two miles from the house didn't yield any DNA matches, and debunked a rumor that the suspect list had been narrowed to 40 people.

Sheriff: Nancy Guthrie Victim of Targeted Kidnappin

On February 18, 2026, Fox News published clips from its interview with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. During that discussion, the law enforcement official who has been in charge of the investigation into the abduction of Savannah Guthrie's mom revealed some key information about the case. Most importantly, he stated that he believes that Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped.

"I believe it was a kidnapping."

When the interviewer asked Nanos to clarify whether the case was a "targeted kidnapping," Nanos stated he thinks that the person who took Guthrie was specifically after her.

"Yes, I believe whoever did that knew what they were up to. Knew who they were after."

From the outside, some experts and observers have floated other motives for the Guthrie disappearance, including that it happened during a burglary gone wrong. When he was directly asked, Nanos firmly rejected that theory by restating his belief that the case involved a deliberate kidnapping.

Sheriff: Black Glove DNA Yields No Matches in CODIS or House Evidence

In another clip, Chris Nanos addressed the black glove that was recovered roughly two miles away from Nancy Guthrie's home. The FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) contains millions of samples from offenders and crime scenes. While talking to the outlet, the sheriff revealed that when the DNA found inside the glove was tested against CODIS, there weren't any matches.

"The DNA on the glove that was found two miles away was submitted for CODIS, and I just heard that CODIS had no hits."

When asked if the glove DNA matched samples from inside the home, the sheriff confirmed that it did not.

"There's no match to the DNA at the house."

He also stated that the DNA found inside the Guthrie home didn't get any CODIS hits either.

Sheriff Chris Nanos Debunks Rumor of a Narrowed 40 Suspect List

On February 17, 2026, Fox News' website reported on an Arizona gun shop owner who claimed to have been questioned by the FBI about the Nancy Guthrie case. Because that person claimed to have been shown a list of people with photos, rumors had spread that officials had roughly 40 suspects in the case. During his Fox News interview, Chris Nanos was asked if the suspect pool had been narrowed, and he debunked that rumor.

"That's not true."

Furthermore, the sheriff stated that investigartors haven't narrowed the suspect list beyond pursuing the evidence they've obtained

"We haven’t narrowed it down to anything other than we have certain pieces of evidence that we're looking at to try to find this individual. Whether it be DNA, whether it be that ring camera video, whether it be evidence at a Walmart that might lead us to somebody."

In a separate February 16 statement, Nanos cleared the entire Guthrie family of any suspicion in the case. He also called them "nothing but cooperative and gracious" and "victims in the case."